Travel – Sport Fishing Mag https://www.sportfishingmag.com Sport Fishing is the leading saltwater fishing site for boat reviews, fishing gear, saltwater fishing tips, photos, videos, and so much more. Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:04:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/uploads/2021/09/favicon-spf.png Travel – Sport Fishing Mag https://www.sportfishingmag.com 32 32 The Best Places to Fish https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/best-places-to-fish/ Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:39:38 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=59089 The right spot, the right season and the right gear for these seven A-list game fish.

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The typical career progression for an angler starts with catching fish, any fish. The next stages are quantity, then quality and size. That ultimately leads to the challenge of adding true trophy species to the angling “life list.” With that goal in mind, here are a few quests to consider. We highlighted specific fish species, locations, prime times, and tactics.

The fish covered here can be caught in other locations too. For example, black marlin are regularly targeted and landed off Australia. But when the conditions are right, the hot spots listed below can’t be beat, especially if you’re there at the right time with the proper presentations.

Best Place to Catch Tarpon

spf0214_f-crf_3.jpg
Most tarpon spots allow anglers to catch a handful of tarpon on a good day, but in Trinidad, double-digit days are common. Chris Woodward
  • Where: Gasparee Island, Tobago
  • When: Fall
  • How: Live baiting Spanish sardine or herring

Diehard tarpon fanatics need to add Trinidad to their travel itinerary. That’s because double-digit days are a routine occurrence for guests of the Monsta Tarpon Lodge on Gasparee Island. Located near the mouth of the prolific Orinoco River, anglers often release up to 40 large tarpon per trip, many 100 pounds or heavier. Stout spinning tackle with braided line and circle hooks is the ideal arsenal for these deepwater fish.

With an abundance of bait during the wet summer months, Spanish sardines or herring are the bait of choice. Tarpon are located by spotting rollers on the surface of the green, nutrient-rich water. The tarpon spawn in the deeper channels between islands and return to the rocks and remote shoreline to feed. Trips are scheduled around the prime windows, typically early mornings or late afternoons when feeding is more active. Rising tides are another favorable condition since the tarpon don’t have to swim against the hard outgoing currents. 

Best Place to Catch Trout and Redfish

Texas redfish release
Some of Texas’ shallow grassflats rival the clarity associated with Florida. Less than 12 inches of water is no problem for a redfish on the hunt. Courtesy Shimano
  • Where: Lower Laguna Madre, Texas
  • When: Late winter and early spring
  • How: Casting Bendback, Deceiver and EP Minnow flies

Sight-fishing enthusiasts need several conditions to successfully pursue their targets: clear water, light winds, bright sunshine and cooperative quarry. For those hunting trophy seatrout and redfish on light-tackle and fly, that describes the Lower Laguna Madre in South Texas perfectly. 

“Late winter and early spring are the best months for big trout on lures,” says Capt. Eric Glass, a long-time guide in the South Padre Island area. “But I prefer the summertime when the winds aren’t as strong and we have bright sun for better visibility. Any tide is good as long as it’s moving. Redfish are our bread and butter here on real shallow flats, 12 inches or less. Trout can be as shallow, but they prefer flats with deeper adjacent water. Soft plastics rigged on a 116-ounce jig head are the top lure choice. “Big trout on fly are our permit. They are very difficult to catch and one 28 inches or larger is a true prize.”

Glass starts by stalking reds, but if trout are around he’ll try to entice one into eating a weighted crab fly. Trout-specific flies include weedless baitfish patterns like Bendbacks, Deceivers and EP Minnows in chartreuse/white or olive/white on an 8-weight outfit with floating line and 12-pound fluorocarbon leader without a shock tippet.  

“It’s a challenge to talk a trout into eating a redfish fly,” he adds. “My client caught a 29-inch-plus fish this summer and it was one of the most memorable of the season. If we find both species in an area, I’ll put the reds on the back burner for an hour or so and try to catch a trout. But I’m scared to death of getting skunked so we typically pivot back to the reds,” he says with a laugh. 

Best Place to Catch Spearfish

Hawaii shortbill spearfish
On Feb. 8, 2005, angler Gary Carter caught this 62-pound shortbill spearfish out of Kona, Hawaii, utilizing 6-pound tackle. Courtesy IGFA
  • Where: Kona, Hawaii
  • When: Springtime
  • How: Trolling skirted bullet lures

Spearfish are one of the more difficult species to record for anglers trying to complete an IGFA Billfish Royal Slam. That rare accomplishment consists of tallying Atlantic and Pacific blue marlin and sailfish, white, black and striped marlin, swordfish and one of the three sub-species of spearfish over a lifetime. The best chance for scoring the latter are shortbill spearfish out of Kona, Hawaii. Known as Hebi in Hawaiian or chuckers among the locals, shortbill are only found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are a consistent catch among the charter and private boats fishing the calm, lee side of Hawaii’s Big Island.  

Sleek, acrobatic and strong for their size, Kona’s spearfish can get up to 50 pounds but average 30 to 35. If you’re prepared to lose tackle to monster blue marlin or yellowfin tuna in the same vicinity, light conventional gear is the perfect match for spearfish. They are typically caught on heavier outfits, however, which subdues the sport and fighting spirit of the fish. 

Late winter through early summer are the peak times to target spearfish in the Aloha State. Skirted bullet lures with either jets or solid bodies in blue/white or pink to mimic flying fish and squid are the top offerings. 

Best Place to Catch Permit

Key West permit
Small live blue crabs are deadly for permit. If crabs are not available, cast out the largest shrimp in your livewell. Sam Hudson
  • Where: Lower Florida Keys
  • When: March
  • How: Bucktail jig tipped with shrimp

Permit are one of the flats trilogy (with tarpon and bonefish) and the Lower Florida Keys are one of the top permit spots on the planet. Longtime Conch guide Capt. Steve Impallomeni targets these challenging targets from early February through March when water temperatures range from the mid- to high 70s after a front to the lower 80s. Moving water, the last two hours of the incoming and first of outgoing, are preferred. 

“I look for floaters off the flat edges at lower tides,” he says. “The reef lines with sea fans and ledges that hold crab and shrimp are good, too.” 

Tan, white or pink bonefish bucktail wiggle jigs tipped with a fresh piece of shrimp are an excellent offering for permit in shallow water. Small live blue crabs are deadly or Impallomeni will use the largest live shrimp he has if bait-stealers aren’t around. For fly-anglers he ties on a Gotcha in tan or pink or a Merkin crab if the water is deeper. 

Best Place to Catch Milkfish

Milkfish caught by an angler in Alphonse Island
The unique milkfish, caught by an angler near Alphonse Island, Seychelles, is a fly fishing favorite. Courtesy Alphonse Island
  • Where: Seychelles
  • When: Year-round
  • How: Flies with large, bushy profiles in green to match the forage algae

Adventuresome anglers looking to tussle with the Pacific equivalent of tarpon should pack their gear and jump on a plane to the Seychelles. Once there, Chanos Chanos or milkfish await those with patience and a 10-weight fly rod. Featuring a long, slender body with large forked tails and equally large eyes, milkfish have silvery sides and white bellies. These toothless omnivores can top 50 pounds and live up to 15 years.

Milkfish are easy to spot on the crystalline Seychelles flats. When feeding, they often tail like bonefish or swim in schools, creating wakes as they move. The heads and collagen-like lips can be spotted as they work the surface. Neap tides are preferred with more uniform water on the flats. New and full moon tides when invertebrates spawn are good also. 

With algae and associated tiny marine life their primary forage, milkfish are ideal targets for the long wand. Since they aren’t predatory, the fly must be nearly stationary on approach. The only initial reaction should be long, slow strips to eliminate slack. Once the line changes direction on a pick-up, a steady strip-strike will seal the deal. Strong, powerful runs and gravity-defying leaps mandate medium fly tackle to win a milkfish battle, which can be lengthy. 

Flies with large, bushy profiles in olive and green to match the forage algae fill the fly boxes of Seychelles anglers. Some patterns add pink or red highlights to simulate crustacean eggs or strands of crystal flash for other tiny marine life. Milkfish can be targeted year-round on the remote Seychelles flats. 

Best Place to Catch Striped Bass

striped bass release
Plenty of smaller striped bass hang around the boulders and rock structures of the Northeast. Sometimes, the biggest boulders hold the largest fish. Courtesy Shimano
  • Where: New Jersey
  • When: October
  • How: Trolling live eels behind planer boards

Once a near unicorn catch, 50-pound-plus striped bass are now not quite as rare due to a harvest moratorium in New Jersey. Devotees looking to etch a half-century cow mark in the rod blank have a couple options for a release, though. “We now have the best big striper fishing that I’ve seen in years,” says veteran New York/New Jersey guide Capt. Frank Crescitelli

“The deadliest method for scoring a 50 is by trolling live eels behind planer boards,” Crescitelli says. His personal best so far is a 52-pounder, taken by that method. “Those big fish are mostly in deeper, open water up to 60 feet. There’s not a lot of structure along our shoreline, so by trolling you can cover more ground and work the bunker pods. It’s all about the bunker. Sixty-degree water is ideal and the big ones tend to stick together. Prevailing northerly winds are best, especially on the back side of the full moon starting about the third week of October.” 

Crescitelli says anglers tossing artificials and flies have ample opportunities for trophies as well. “Working in close to the shore on the trolling motor will offer shots at big fish in the shallows,” he adds. He ties on bunker flies on sinking lines for a quiet presentation and works transition points with bait and rips/eddies. He also keeps one live bait in the water to send off distress signals to feeding stripers. 

Best Place to Catch Black Marlin

Guy Harvey famous fishing photo black marlin Tropic Star Lodge Panama
You’ve likely seen this iconic image of a monster black marlin — well over the 1,000-pound mark — about to be tagged. It was hooked and released at Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. The photographer was legendary artist and researcher Guy Harvey. Guy Harvey
  • Where: Piñas Bay, Panama
  • When: January and February
  • How: Slow trolling live bonito

With hundreds of IGFA line class records on its ledger, Tropic Star Lodge, located on Piñas Bay on Panama’s remote Pacific coast, consistently ranks as the top big game fishing lodge in the world. It is also a reasonably accessible destination for those looking to cross black marlin off their checklist. Western novelist and angler Zane Grey is credited with discovering the area’s most prominent underwater feature, subsequently named in his honor. The Zane Grey Reef is a trio of rocky columns that jut to within 125 feet of the surface. Only a short run from the lodge, it intersects a major migratory path for marlin and other pelagics. 

Live bonito are caught, bridled and slow-trolled around the reef to entice a strike. Because of the likelihood of encounters with large fish, heavy conventional tackle is used. January and February are the peak months for black marlin, along with big blues, plus triple-digit yellowfin tuna and sailfish. Grand slams (blue, black and sail or striped marlin) are possible in February. Black marlin are also around in good numbers in April and May.

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The Gulf’s Wintertime Wahoo Wonderland https://www.sportfishingmag.com/venice-louisiana-fishing-wahoo/ Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:18:13 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=44015 Plan ahead to fish the northern Gulf of Mexico out of Venice when wahoo swarm deepwater oil rigs.

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Anxiously, I paced the porch deck of the houseboat at Venice Marina on a cold January morning. We waited for Capt. Damon McKnight to pick us up in his Freeman cat for a run to the oil rigs off Louisiana to target wahoo. My close friend Dave Weston joined me on this trip after hearing accounts of previous trips to Venice, where I’d experienced some of the best fishing the world has to offer.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Lousiiana - underwater wahoo
Wahoo — one of the ocean’s speediest fish and the largest of the mackerels — are available in the northern Gulf of Mexico all year, and they are particularly abundant during colder months. Daniel Goez

Determined to test the legendary winter wahoo fishing out of Venice, Weston and I had been planning this trip for more than two years. We struggled to find fishable weather during the short time window of January and February, when big wahoo are found at Gulf of Mexico oil rigs some 15 to 30 miles off Venice.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Lousiiana - Leaving Venice Marina
Leaving Venice Rob Wittman

Deepwater Rigs in Sight

Finally, Mother Nature was on our side, with a forecast of 2- to 3-foot seas. As we crossed into the Gulf through the Southeast Pass of the Mississippi River, a significant chop, seemingly left over from the previous week of windy conditions, greeted us.

Nonetheless, the ride in the high-bow catamaran was surprisingly comfortable, and with four 300-hp Yamahas pushing the boat at a cruising speed of 45 knots, we found ourselves approaching the first rigs within 30 minutes once outside the mouth of the Mississippi.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Lousiiana - deepwater oil rig
We found water that was a bit cold around the first rigs we came to, so we moved on. Rob Wittman

We found conditions marginal for wahoo at those first rigs, with greenish-brown water at 58 degrees F. Wahoo normally appear around Gulf rigs where water temperatures run at least 62 degrees and less than 86. Within that range, significant temperature breaks attract wahoo, which often frequent the colder side of such breaks.

“I look not only for temperatures more than 60 degrees,” McKnight says, “but also signs of baitfish on the big Simrad sounder. Some rigs are better at holding wahoo than others, so I spend most of my time on those.”

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Lousiiana - trolling for a strike
Bundled up in the chilly winter marine air and waiting for the day’s first takedown. Rob Wittman

Despite the cool water at the first rig, McKnight felt it was worth a shot, and we set out a trolling spread consisting of two 30-wide Shimano Tiagras and two Shimano Talica II 25s, all spooled with 60-pound braid and 100-pound mono top shots. The skipper ran Rapala X-Rap Magnums, deep divers designed to reach 25 to 30 feet at 7 to 8 knots.

Most large diving plugs with large lips, designed to run consistently deep, will catch wahoo in the Gulf off Venice. Many pros favor Rapala X-Rap Magnum 30s, as does McKnight. “I find that these perform most consistently in catching wahoo here,” he says. Other popular diving lures include Mann’s Stretch 25+ and 30+, Bomber’s Saltwater Grade Certified Depth, Nomad DTX Minnow, and Yo-Zuri’s Sashimi 3-D Magnum.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Lousiiana - Rapala X-Rap Magnum 30
Rapala’s X-Rap Magnum in a 30 size is one of the most popular and productive of wahoo lures in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Courtesy Rapala USA

Got Jacks? Move On!

It seemed that McKnight’s hunch paid off when, during the second pass, we hooked a fish that made a spirited run, though not with the characteristic drag-melting pace of a wahoo. After a 20-minute tug of war, we released a bicep-building brute of a jack crevalle, a good 30 pounds. We quickly cranked in the lures and moved on to try several more rigs with little success.

When we moved to rigs farther offshore, we found water conditions that were significantly better. Water temperatures here were around 68 degrees and offered the clear, deep-blue color we had hoped for. As we rolled up on a high, narrow rig, McKnight pointed to the depth finder, saying, “That’s what we’re looking for.” Lighting up the screen were long, slender images of fish stacked like cordwood in 80 to 150 feet of water.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - a large jack crevalle
The author pulls in a hefty jack — but, “You don’t find jack crevalle and wahoo hanging out together at the rigs,” says Capt. Damon McKnight. “If you’re targeting wahoo and jacks appear, it’s best to move on.” Doug Olander / Sport Fishing

As soon as our plugs passed the first leg of the rig, the right long rod whipped down and began vibrating violently as the reel screamed, the mono top shot disappearing in an instant.

I jumped from the back of the center console, where I’d been leaning, to grab the rod from the right gunwale holder, then watched braid melt away — 100, 200, 300 and approaching 400 yards. I glanced back at McKnight, a quizzical look on my face, silently asking if we might have to chase down this fish. The captain, with the calm voice of experience, said: “That’s a nice fish! Let’s get him away from the rig.”

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana
Good skippers will maneuver the boat to keep wahoo clear of oil-rig structure. Rob Wittman

Day’s First Wahoo is a Whopper

McKnight sped up slightly, angling away from the rig, until we had cleared the fish. Pulling fish at a slight angle away from the structure keeps them from reacting violently, as they’re likely to do when pulled at a severe angle away from the path they’re swimming.

McKnight’s maneuver kept the line pressure moving the fish’s head away from the rig and discouraged it from swimming into rig structure and cutting the line. Once we’d coaxed it away from the sharp legs of the platform, it was up to me. As I regained line, I could feel the strength and weight of the fish. Knowing wahoo are famous for vicious head shakes, and that they can easily unbutton themselves from treble hooks on plugs, I tried to bring the fish to the boat as smoothly as possible.

wahoo fishing venice louisiana
Wahoo are unbelievably strong, fast fish. Pat Ford

I could not imagine this fish having the energy to do anything more after the long first run of the fight. After 15 minutes, I had it within 100 yards. I thought the end was in sight, but the wahoo had other ideas, and scorched another run of 150 yards or so.

But this run proved different from the first, neither as fast nor as sustained; I could tell the fish was wearing down. With the same steady pressure, I continued to gain line until the wahoo appeared from the depths, about 5 feet from the boat. McKnight smoothly gaffed the fish and, in a single motion, lifted it over the rail.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - a monster wahoo
After boating a monster wahoo that later taped out at 74 inches (and at least 100 pounds). I couldn’t help letting out a shout that reminded anyone in earshot exactly how the wahoo got its name. Rob Wittman

Break Out the Bright Lures

On the second pass by the same rig, we hooked up again and landed another wahoo around the century mark, which hit the deck and found its way to an ice bath in the fish box. The skipper decided to change the trolling setup slightly, adding a pink Yo-Zuri Bonita on the right short.

Heavy, lipless, fast-vibrating lures like the Bonita and the Braid Marauder are designed to troll at a wide range of speeds, and McKnight wanted to give the wahoo a slightly different presentation with a tightly vibrating lure in the spread. Pulled on a spread close to the boat, just outside the prop wash, such lures make a great complement to long lines pulling lipped lures.

Capt. McKnight says: “Generally the brightest colors catch the most fish. It’s best to vary color patterns and types of lures to find the most effective combinations. If you’re in an area where you’re marking fish or where you know wahoo frequent due to current and structure, don’t be afraid to change color and lures to find what works best.”

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - a bright high-speed trolling lures
A Braid Marauder high-speed trolling lure of the sort widely popular with wahoo enthusiasts. Courtesy Braid Products

At the end of the day, the long lines with Rapalas and similar lipped plugs caught the most fish. McKnight trolls these at a speed slower than I’m used to while fishing for these speed demons. Our trolling speed never topped 7 knots. “High-speed trolling just hasn’t proven to be as successful in the Gulf as it seems to be in the Atlantic,” McKnight says.

When an angler hooks a wahoo on a plug, it’s important to judge how the fish reacts to pressure and, if possible, discourage the violent head shakes for which these surgically toothed critters are famous. When some of the wahoo I hooked that day fought straight up and down, I could feel them opening their jaws and viciously shaking their head. Luckily, most stayed connected.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - wahoo on a deep-diving plug
Most of our fish on this day were caught on bright pink, orange or purple lures. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing

An Expert Trolls the Rigs Strategically

Combine the experience and skills of a seasoned captain with a little luck, and you can enjoy a phenomenal experience fishing winter wahoo out of Venice. McKnight fishes the rigs methodically. He starts by carefully determining the areas of a rig that hold fish and trolls plugs over them.

“Wahoo are ambush predators,” McKnight explains. “They like to attack from below, so something swimming directly overhead triggers that instinct.”

In terms of where wahoo are likely to be around a rig, I noticed we marked them mostly on the up-current side stayed on the up-current side of the structure. “Wahoo are definitely affected by current and feed more aggressively in faster current,” the skipper explains. He focuses his efforts where the current changes direction laterally, such as around the structure of an oil rig, or vertically, such as around significant depth changes that force currents upward.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - an offshore oil rig
When approaching a rig, before putting out lines, determine current direction around it. Rob Wittman

We trolled around several other rigs without any action before returning to the rig where we had caught the largest fish of the day. As the Simrad “chirped” away, images of the wahoo we had seen earlier reappeared, though the fish now seemed more spread out. On multiple passes, we failed to get bit, so McKnight decided to change the direction and angle (relative to the rig) of the troll. Sure enough, on the next pass over the area, pulling lures in the opposite direction at a 30-degree angle to the side of the rigs, and passing within 25 yards of the up-current leg, we hooked up to wahoo and even some bycatch — a nice yellowfin tuna.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - surprise catch, a yellowfin tuna
The kind of bycatch any wahoo enthusiast can live with — a heavy yellowfin tuna. Rob Wittman

End of a Great Trip

Weston and I ended up with a fish box full of wahoo. One unusual aspect of our trip was an almost unheard-of 100 percent success rate in landing hooked fish. The trip back to the dock was quick. We made it back to the Southeast Pass of the Mississippi in 30 minutes, cruising at 48 knots. Unfortunately, we hit something just under the surface while running, knocking out the lower unit on one of the four outboards. The boat still made great time on three engines.

The great staff at Venice Marina cleaned our fish, setting aside a few wahoo steaks. We took them upstairs to the restaurant, where the chef grilled the wahoo to perfection — a fitting culmination to a fantastic day of winter wahoo fishing in Venice.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana- one wahoo of many
One of several wahoo caught on a good day out of Venice. The catch was shared among anglers, captain, crew and friends, and much of it was donated to a local charity that feeds the hungry. Rob Wittman

Tips for Planning a Winter Wahoo Trip to Venice

Give Yourself Time

The key to fishing in the winter, with the weather so unpredictable and many days unfishable, is to be flexible. I had cleared my schedule to have a six-day period in total to find a weather window. Secure at least a three-day booking with a charter captain in Venice who will target wahoo. We decided to book four days to ensure we could get at least two fishable days.

Look for a Package Deal

Venice is rather remote; there are houseboats available in Venice proper (the Lighthouse Lodge is about 10 minutes north of town). Most captains will book a package trip that includes lodging in a houseboat, condo, or one of the nearby lodges.

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - happy wahoo anglers
If you want to bring fish back home from a trip to fish Venice, plan accordingly in advance. Rob Wittman

Stop En Route for Food

There are limited grocery options locally, so it’s best to buy essentials you’ll need before you arrive in Venice.

Stay in Contact with your Captain Beforehand

I called McKnight four days prior to our trip to get an idea about the weather and texted or called every day up to the first day of the trip. Because of unfishable offshore conditions, we moved the trip two days ahead and made it happen. When the weather offshore isn’t cooperating, you can experience some great inshore fishing for redfish. Many captains can substitute an inshore trip for a blown-out offshore one, many times at a lower rate.

How to Bring Fish Home

You’re likely to bring back wahoo from days you do get offshore. The Venice Marina folks packed the fish in flight-approved, insulated containers with cold packs to check on our Southwest flight from New Orleans. We neatly taped the boxes shut to keep the contents from opening in handling and flight. However, the TSA folks dismissed our handiwork, cutting the tape to check out the contents. We couldn’t talk them out of it, but they were kind enough to retape the containers. If you plan to fly fish home, make sure you allow additional time for the TSA screening. For us, the additional time was a small inconvenience for great wahoo steaks we had when we arrived back home.

Louisiana’s Wahoo Season

Wahoo fishing out of Venice, Louisiana - a wahoo leaps clear of the water
Exciting moments like this are most likely during winter and into the spring months. David Granville

Areas like Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and San Salvador, in the Bahamas, have gained attention for the size of their wahoo, but what about the best bets for wahoo in U.S. waters? A National Marine Fisheries Service study showed that the catch rate for wahoo was the highest by far off Louisiana’s coast, with one wahoo caught for every five hours of offshore trolling. That rate is five times higher than catch rates off the North Carolina coast, and six times higher than off South Florida’s coast.

Venice wahoo are typically caught in the largest numbers during January and February, when they average 50 to 60 pounds, which is larger than in the spring months. You’ll find most charter captains who fish out of Venice recommend January and February as peak months for targeting wahoo, although the fish are also caught with some frequency from March through June, but only sporadically after that, until winter.

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Sitka’s Salmon Bonanza https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/sitkas-salmon-bonanza/ Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=58461 A legendary fishing lodge in Southeast Alaska provides incredible access to the annual salmon migration.

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The brown bear 20 yards away is living its best life. The gravel road provides an elevated perch to watch, with great awe, a bear in a creek up to its neck, standing on its hind legs, as hundreds of migrating salmon swirl and swim by. For this sizable animal, the eddy is both cold plunge and buffet. Nearby, untold numbers of silvers stack up in a shallow stretch, unable to pass over the rocks despite their thrashing and tail beating. When the next rain comes, the creek will rise and these salmon will be able to move farther upstream as they instinctively head back to the location where they hatched.

“It’s incredible,” says Joshua Badder, co-owner of Wild Strawberry Lodge in Sitka, Alaska. “The life that they have… and the life they give.”

Wild Strawberry Lodge fishing boat heading out
One of Wild Strawberry Lodge’s aluminum pilothouse boats heads to the fishing spot. Jon Whittle

It’s late August in Sitka. With the exception of the gunmetal gray peaks of the nearby mountains, everything is verdant. Unlike the distant, northwestern expanses of the Frontier State, Southeast Alaska (a three-hour flight from Seattle) is a temperate rainforest that’s home to a rich and diverse biomass. Bear sightings are constant. Bald eagles are as common here as seagulls in South Florida. And this time of year, the salmon run inspires anglers to join a phenomenon unlike any other in nature. 

“It’s hard to explain. It’s like magic,” says Badder. “Thousands and thousands of these fish run upstream. It draws in the birds, the bears, and the people. Being in those streams in your waders, surrounded by these fish, is surreal. There’s nothing like it in the world.”

King salmon caught in Sitka, Alaska
King salmon is Sitka’s premier game fish. Jon Whittle

Alaska’s Wild Strawberry Lodge in Sitka

For Badder, it’s also surreal that he now has a front row seat to this magical migration. In February, Badder and his friend and business partner Justin Karleski bought Wild Strawberry Lodge. The two lifelong outdoorsmen and former heavy equipment salesmen were at their favorite pizza place back home in Kansas City, Missouri, when their broker called to inform them that after eight months of negotiations, the deal was done. They were now the owners of a legendary getaway that’s been a Sitka staple for more than 30 years.

“Did I ever dream of owning a fishing lodge? No. But it’s pretty awesome that this came to fruition,” says Karleski. Within days of the deal’s closure, Badder and Karleski were packed and headed to Sitka to get to work. 

Alaska is well known for its salmon fishing lodges, which range from homespun to luxurious. Wild Strawberry feels like you’re staying at a relative’s home. Located in the heart of Sitka a short walk from the marina, Wild Strawberry offers expertly organized multi-day, immersive fishing charters. The fleet consists of aluminum pilothouse boats built for the rough and tumble waters of Baranof Island. But the payoff is considerable. “Each client is leaving the Sitka airport with 50 to 100 pounds of fish,” says Badder. (The culinary yield of a processed salmon is 45 percent.) While king and silver salmon make up the bulk of the poundage, lingcod, halibut and rockfish are a regular part of the mix.

Lingcod caught in Sitka, Alaska
Lingcod are among the various species anglers catch on a Wild Strawberry charter. Jon Whittle

Best Fishing in Sitka Alaska

While trolling used to be the strategy of choice for salmon fishing, these days it’s all about mooching. The rig consists of a two-hook leader, mooching sinker and cut herring. The captain sets up a good drift, marks the salmon on the MFD, and directs the anglers to drop the bait to the target depth and reel up slowly. (All the reels have line counters so anglers can dial in their depth.) From here, it’s not a matter of if, but when.  

Once you’ve limited out on kings and silvers, the entrails of a few pinks end up as bait for the barn doors. “Everyone has their own favorite fish. For me, in salt water, the obsession is halibut,” says Badder. The strategy is simple: Open the bail until you feel the thump on the bottom, reel up twice, and start jigging. “It’s the elusive fish that might get away, or maybe you’ll catch a state record,” Badder says. “What I’m sure of is you’ll have a great time doing it.”

Halibut caught with Wild Strawberry Lodge
Once limiting out on salmon, halibut is often the next target. Jon Whittle

One misty morning, a few members of our crew pile into Karleski’s side-by-side (which are street legal in Sitka). The drive goes from asphalt to gravel to dirt to untamed wild. The UTV crawls over downed trees and through mud pits. The destination is one of Karleski’s secret spots: a waterfall that empties into a quiet, elevated pool. Trapped by the water level and waiting for more rain, the salmon swim in circles. Armed with fly rods, we cast into the pool while precariously balancing our deck boots on wet rocks. If you saw this scene in a movie, you’d swear it was CGI. A natural vignette that seems impossible. 

“Is this heaven?” I ask.

Karleski chuckles. “Close,” he says. “It’s Alaska.”

Wild Strawberry Lodge charter boat rockfishing
One of Wild Strawberry Lodge’s charter boats stages up in a quiet cove for some rockfishing. Jon Whittle

Planning a Trip to Sitka, Alaska

When to Go: Peak season is June 1 to August 31. 

How to Get There: Alaska Airlines offers direct jet service year-round from Seattle, with a flight time of approximately three hours. Delta Airlines also operates one daily flight from Seattle. 

Cost: Wild Strawberry’s base package is two days fishing and three nights lodging for $2,525, plus taxes. The all-inclusive package includes airport transport, meals, tackle and rain gear, fishing licenses, and processing/shipping your catch. 

What to Expect: A wide array of weather. Fog, drizzle, wind, intense sun, rain, chill—that’s just one of the ways a summer day can unfold in Southeast Alaska. You’ll likely go from bundled up under foul weather gear in the morning to stripping down to a T-shirt and pants by the afternoon. Even with all the wardrobe changes, the sock hat was the one item I consistently wore all day, every day.

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The King of Flatfish https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/atlantic-halibut-fishing/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:38:00 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=58489 From collapse to slow comeback for Atlantic halibut in the Gulf of Maine.

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Atlantic Halibut
New England anglers are catching Atlantic halibut in increasing numbers; most are smaller sized, but some reach 100 pounds at the scales. Capt. Bruce Sweet

The frigid seas of the Gulf of Maine are home to a diverse blend of bottom fishing opportunities, with species such as cod, haddock, and pollock routinely filling anglers’ boxes. However, famed Atlantic halibut are also once-again beginning to show in increasing numbers. 

Recognized as the largest member of the flatfish family, the Atlantic halibut inhabits a broad range, stretching from the icy waters of Labrador and Greenland across to Iceland, and down through the Canadian Maritimes. Within U.S. waters, Atlantic halibut are most frequently encountered by anglers in the Gulf of Maine. These demersal fish inhabit the seafloor at depths ranging from a few hundred feet to deeper than 6,000 feet. 

The largest Atlantic halibut on record was caught by a commercial angler in the early 1900s off the coast of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. It weighed more than 600 pounds even after the head had been removed.

The Crash of the Atlantic Halibut

Atlantic Halibut
Once on the brink of collapse, the Atlantic halibut is making waves in the Gulf of Maine with signs of a comeback. Capt. Bruce Sweet

Throughout the late 1800s, the growing population centers of the Northeast drove an increasing demand for fresh fish. In response, commercial fleets focused on Atlantic halibut for its impressive size, sweet flavor, and signature flaky texture. Records show that at least 12 million pounds of Atlantic halibut were harvested annually in the Gulf of Maine during this period.

Atlantic halibut are an extremely slow-growing species that require 10 years to reach sexual maturity and can live past 50 years of age. Over time, the extreme fishing pressure began to take its toll, and the U.S. population of halibut had all but crashed by the 1940s. 

Little effort was made to restore the fishery until the early 2000s when the New England Fishery Management Council stepped in to put in place a rebuilding plan, through tactics such as seasonal and year-round area closures, limited commercial and recreational harvest, and annual catch limits, the goal remains to get the population back to a target level by 2055. Yes, that’s another 30 years. 

Atlantic Halibut Rebounds

For an insider’s take on the current state of halibut fishing in the Gulf of Maine, I had the chance to connect with Capt. Bruce Sweet, of Sweet Dream Fishing Charters, based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Sweet and his team routinely target Atlantic halibut along the Fippennies Ledge section of the Gulf of Maine, an underwater shoal located around 65 miles northeast of Gloucester. 

While the fishing is not consistent, Sweet says, “Over the last 15 years or so, the fishing is trending up; they are hardly abundant, but you are hearing about more and more being caught.” These days, strict recreational regulations continue to help Atlantic halibut maintain growing population levels, with only one fish measuring at least 41 inches able to be harvested per boat, per trip. 

Sweet also highlights that the surge in halibut activity has drawn increased interest from anglers, particularly as New England groundfish species have seen decreased bag limits for the past few years. 

Tips and Tactics for Targeting Halibut

Atlantic halibut catch
Stout conventional gear and jig/teaser combos are common tactics for Atlantic halibut. Capt. Bruce Sweet

For Sweet, the peak of his halibut fishing season occurs toward the end of May, into early July. The biggest reason for this is that once the Gulf of Maine hits a water temperature of 60 degrees, the area becomes inundated with dogfish and blue sharks that make getting any fish to the boat nearly impossible. 

Offshore shoals with depths of 200 to 300 feet, featuring gravel bottoms or scattered boulders, are great areas to start. While most halibut are caught as bycatch during pollock and haddock trips, targeting areas with abundant bait and other biomass is important. Along with Fippennies Ledge, anglers might also consider making the trip to Jeffreys Ledge off the coast of New Hampshire, where commercial tuna fishermen and recreational ground fishermen occasionally hook halibut that rise from the bottom to strike suspended live baits.

The massive specimens of the past are still a distant memory. Sweet reports that most fish caught by his clients weigh between 50 and 60 pounds, with the largest of his career surpassing 90 pounds. As a result, using the right gear to bring large fish up from deep water is essential. Anglers typically target Atlantic halibut with traditional three-sided Norwegian jigs, often accompanied by a series of teasers, ranging from 12 to over 20 ounces to account for current — requiring heavy conventional tackle to impart action and maintain bottom contact.

While the full recovery of the Atlantic halibut population remains uncertain, strict regulations and careful management are driving the species’ resurgence, giving anglers the opportunity to target these remarkable fish once more. With continued efforts, one day it may not take a trip to Alaska for U.S. anglers to wrestle with the king of flatfish.

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Maine: A New Musky Hotspot https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/maine-musky-fishing/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:26:17 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=58411 Musky fishing is growing in popularity, even if all anglers aren't happy about the non-native species.

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Catching a musky in Maine
As muskies continue to flourish in Maine, the chances of consistent fish over 50 inches are becoming possible. Kevin McKay, Maine Fishing Adventures

When you think of musky fishing, chances are the northern portions of Maine don’t immediately come to mind. A decade ago, the same could have been said for Kevin McKay, owner and operator of Maine Fishing Adventures, one of the premier musky guide services in the Pine Tree State. After hearing rumblings of muskies making their way into the St. John River, which marks the border between Maine and Quebec, McKay and his son made the trip and quickly realized that the rumors were true, northern Maine is plumb full of muskies.

The Popularity of Musky Fishing 

Musky (short for muskellunge) are the ultimate freshwater predators — big, tough and downright elusive. Known as the fish of 10,000 casts, they’re infamous for being hard to catch thanks to their ghost-like behavior and tendency to only feed in specific windows. In fact, many anglers measure a successful musky trip not by what they catch but by how many fish they even see, as these apex predators are known to follow moving baits all the way to the boat. 

The stronghold of the musky (sometimes spelled muskie) has long been associated with the Great Lakes, upper Midwest, southern Ontario, and parts of Quebec. Most freshwater anglers have fished or heard about legendary fisheries including Lake of the Woods, Lake St. Clair, Eagle Lake, and the St. Lawrence River. Other targetable populations can be found as far south as the Appalachians.

How Musky Fishing Got Started in Maine

Main musky fishing
In addition to tremendous foliage along the shorelines, fall in Maine brings the promise of excellent muskie fishing. Kevin McKay, Maine Fishing Adventures

In the 1960s, the Quebec government introduced muskies into Lac-Frontière in the hopes of creating a quality population for province anglers. Over time, these fish began to move downstream into the Maine section of the St. John River, gorging on trout populations and slowly infiltrating the entire system. 

As the musky population grew, so did angler interest, culminating in events like the Fort Kent International Muskie Derby, which draws enthusiasts from both sides of the border each August. However, not everyone was thrilled. Some anglers still have concerns. Many Maine anglers view muskies as a threat to the trout and salmon populations that have long defined the state as a premier fishing destination. With no season or bag limits, many fish are killed in an effort to protect native fish species. 

According to Kevin McKay, these fish are not going anywhere and are only going to get bigger, “Musky fishing in Maine has the potential to produce fish of over 50 inches,” he says. In addition to the main flowage of the St. John River, other areas of note throughout the watershed are Glazier Lake, Baker Lake, Beau Lake, and the Allagash River. 

How to Fish for Muskies in Maine

Catching a muskie in Maine
Muskies measuring longer than 40 inches in length are becoming abundant in the northern reaches of Maine. Kevin McKay, Maine Fishing Adventures

As mentioned above, muskies are predatory fish that grow in excess of 60 pounds, with the bulk of their diet made up of large baitfish such as suckers, chubs, panfish, and ciscoes. This means anglers need to focus on baits such as bladed bucktails, big profiled topwaters, oversized crankbaits, plastic-bodied jerk baits, and other reaction-style baits. 

To handle these heavy bait options, anglers should use appropriate rod and reel systems. I recommend heavy casting tackle with rods over 8 feet in length and foregrips long enough to provide plenty of leverage during casting. Rod power and action is up to  angler preference and technique. But for baits that require a lot of extra action, some rod options come standard with a pistol-style lower grip. 

For reels, classic round styles or beefed-up low-profile models are worthy options. However, gear ratios in the 5:1 to 6:1 are mandatory to keep big baits moving. Additionally, many anglers opt to use braided line down to heavy-duty fluorocarbon or even steel leaders in dirty water environments. 

Muskies are known to hold on or near a wide variety of cover with top picks being edges of weed beds, current breaks, wood and offshore rocky structures. Primetime to fish muskies includes cooler water periods of spring and fall, with midsummer heat often correlating to extended periods of lockjaw. 

Fly Fishing for Muskies

fly fishing tackle for muskies
Orange and chartreuse articulated streamers are proven patterns for big muskies. Kevin McKay, Maine Fishing Adventures

For McKay, the musky has increasingly become a favorite species to target via the fly rod, so much so that it led to a documentary detailing the added difficulty and reward fly fishing for muskies can bring to even the most seasoned angler. 

For fly anglers, the same principles apply, bigger is better. Kevin and his clients utilize 10- to 12-weight fly rods with extended fighting butts. Additionally, a heavy 400- to 500-grain line is needed to make powerful and accurate casts. Large articulated streamers in the 6-inch range are commonplace for flies. 

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Louisiana’s Fall Fishing Bite https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/louisianas-fall-fishing-bite/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:51:14 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=58214 With a salty surge of water up the Mississippi, redfish, flounder and speckled trout invade the river.

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Speckled trout catch in louisiana
Venice guide Capt. Triston Elston regularly catches his biggest speckled trout of the year in the fall, when water from the Gulf of Mexico infiltrates the lower Mississippi River. Todd Masson

The word ‘relief’ has multiple definitions that seemingly have nothing to do with each other, and the most peculiar is “a difference in height from the surrounding terrain.” South Louisiana has no such relief. It’s as flat as Bangladesh, with the only difference in geographical height being the human-made levees that parallel the Mississippi River on either side, preventing it from spilling over its banks during spring floods, inundating homes and bankrupting insurance companies.

Saltwater Creeps Up the Mississippi to New Orleans

Because the region is so flat, the water in the Mississippi doesn’t actually fall into the Gulf of Mexico. It must be pushed with force from water upstream that is in fact impacted by the forces of gravity. But autumn is typically dry across much of the continent, and that means there ain’t a whole lot of water reaching the river — at least in relative terms — and most years, it’s not enough to hold the Gulf at bay.

At the river’s Bird’s Foot Delta, green, salty water takes advantage of the weakness, shoving its way as far upriver as New Orleans, some years even threatening the potability of the city’s drinking water. With that salty surge comes fish that aren’t generally associated with rivers — redfish, flounder and a whole lot of speckled trout — and best of all, because the banks of the river are armored, turbidity is never a problem. The river and its passes stay pristine, with visibility typically measured in feet, even after big blows associated with autumn cold fronts.

Flounder catch in Louisiana
Flounder stack up at the Mississippi River birdsfoot delta in numbers that almost defy belief. Todd Masson

The river typically begins its annual descent some time in the summer, and by September, is below the 5-foot mark at New Orleans’ Carrollton gauge. That allows the passes and the river itself downstream of the Plaquemines Parish town of Buras to absolutely load up with redfish that move in to feast on estuarine bait stocks that spent most of the year growing in the nutrient-rich water, completely shielded from such predators.

Flounder also take root at points, drains and along edge walls in numbers that frequently defy belief. The species is typically an incidental catch for South Louisiana anglers, but in the autumn months at the mouth of the river, they are often targeted.

Louisiana Speckled Trout Fishing in Fall

Fall seatrout fishing in Louisiana
Capt. Justin Bowles and author Todd Masson caught speckled trout every cast last November while fishing a ledge wall in the Mississippi River within sight of Venice. Todd Masson

In September and most of October, reds and flounder are the stars of the show, but annually in low river years, speckled trout join them right around the time kids are picking out their Halloween costumes. The specks set up along deep ledge walls in high-current areas, and ignore their bursting bellies to stuff their faces without ceasing. Though the techniques for targeting them can be unique, they’re the easiest fish in the world to get to bite.

Regular anglers often cast double-rigged 3/8-ounce jigheads teamed with soft-plastic paddle tails, sometimes having to level up to 1/2-ounce heads when currents are particularly swift. Double hookups are common, and the fish are often the biggest specks anglers will catch all year, measuring 25 inches and weighing up to 5 pounds.

A Hot Seatrout Bite in the Mississippi River

Last November, fishing buddy Justin Bowles and I hit a ledge in the river itself near the popular port of Venice, and found action that could not possibly have been better. We cast downcurrent, and worked our baits up a ledge that clearly held a school of specks that numbered in the hundreds if not thousands.

I went with the double-rig setup, while Bowles opted for a drop-shot rig anchored by a 1-ounce bell sinker. As soon as our baits reached bottom, bites were almost instantaneous. We were, at most, five minutes from Venice, and it remained in our view the entire trip. The water beneath our feet was green, clean and pristine. In the autumn war between Gulf and river, the Gulf had clearly won every battle.

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Trolling for Giant Salmon in the Baltic https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/trolling-for-atlantic-salmon/ Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:55:11 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=57484 Atlantic salmon grow massive in the waters near Sweden.

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Sweden Baltic salmon
A good day trolling for Baltic salmon might result in one or two keepers, as well as plenty that must be released. Courtesy Capt. Björn Persson

“Straight ahead is Poland and to the left is Estonia,” said Capt. Björn Persson, as he navigated the calm waters en route to the Baltic Sea. We were on our way to catch Baltic salmon, which are the same species as Atlantic salmon — ray-finned fish in the Salmonidae family. The Baltic’s Atlantic salmon are known for their massive size, with world records caught in Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Russia. And we were targeting the big ones: 30 pounds and up.  

We left minutes prior from the port of Trosa, located about an hour southwest of Stockholm. The boat ride through the Stockholm archipelago (Skärgårdens in Swedish) was calm and picturesque with World War II cannons visible on several of the small islands. This area forms the second largest archipelago in the world, containing approximately 30,000 islands. On this day, there were just as many sailboats as motorboats on the water.

Within 20 minutes, we arrived at the deep waters of the Baltic Sea. Persson switched over to the trolling motor. One by one, the captain let out line on his Abu Garcia Alphamar LC level winds, line-counting reels with large artificial spoons rigged to them.  

Fishing for Baltic Atlantic salmon
Capt. Bjorn Persson set out a spread of line-counting conventional setups at different depths, rigged with large artificial spoons.  Doug DaSilva

Unsure of the exact depth of the Atlantic salmon, we set out eight lines at depths of approximately 130, 165 and 195 feet. The captain used fluorescent planer boards to ensure the lines did not tangle and to help stagger the lines at different depths. Four more lines were set deeper, clipped to a pair of downriggers off the stern of the 21-foot center console. With twelve lines out in total, we were optimistic.

Soon enough, a rod bent over and the captain uttered something in Swedish that probably meant “fish on.” I grabbed the rod. The fight was fun, but I quickly reeled the fish to the boat. The captain looked at it and immediately flipped it off the line. We were on a mission for giant salmon, and Persson wanted a 2-plus-footer to keep, not what we had landed. Not the fish we were looking for. No time for pictures.

“You should have been here last week,” summed up the reminder of the day. Eventually time ran out, and the captain cooked up hamburgers and hotdogs on the bank of a small island. He told stories of giant Baltic salmon he caught in these waters, the size of the fish only limited by the length his arms stretched.

When to Go

Sweden archipelago
The waters surrounding Sweden form the second largest archipelago in the world, containing approximately 30,000 islands. Doug DaSilva

Baltic Salmon season in Sweden is from June through August. It’s also a great time to catch northern pike and hundreds of European Perch in the many lakes in Sweden. If you are looking to make it a family trip, or want to do some sightseeing, I recommend going during the festival of midsummer that marks the summer solstice. That’s when one of the earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the sun and thus the longest day of sunlight in the year. Midsummer also happens to be one of the biggest holidays in Sweden. The locals dress in traditional Swedish outfits and sing and drink throughout the day.

Where to Go and How to Get There

The New York airports typically have several direct flight options into Sweden’s capital of Stockholm. If your bucket list is to see a pristine 196-foot, 400-year-old Viking warship, visit Vasa Museum in Stockholm. From there, take a car or train to Trosa, a lovely fishing and coastal town about an hour southeast of Stockholm. The area offers local markets to buy fresh seafood and produce from vendors and plenty of restaurants. 

What to Expect

Visiting Sweden in the summer is similar to going to the Great Lakes or Canada, so bring plenty of layers in case a hot summer day turns cool. A good day trolling for Baltic salmon might result in one or two keepers. Mix it up by scheduling a day of catching lots of perch and large pike at nearby lakes. Don’t worry, most of the locals speak English and are happy to point tourists in the right direction.

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Fish Tampa Bay for Inshore Action https://www.sportfishingmag.com/fish-floridas-tampa-bay-for-inshore-action-and-variety/ Tue, 17 Sep 2024 19:47:07 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=47044 Find action for many popular inshore game fish in sprawling Tampa Bay.

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Bonnethead shark caught in Tampa Bay
Anglers drifting the thick turtle-grass flats around the bay and throwing plastic baits and shrimp can expect a substantial variety of gamefish, including big bonnethead sharks, which are a hoot on light line. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing

Even as Capt. Lori Hall wrapped the anchor line around a cleat, I cast across a canal a short run from the boat ramp at Simmons Park in Ruskin, Florida. As my Yo-Zuri 3D inshore twitchbait touched down about a foot from the grassy bank, in inches-deep water, I quickly began a jerk-pause retrieve to keep it off the bottom. About three jerks into it, something smashed the lure, and a small snook sailed out of the water. Hardly a trophy, but still, a pretty nice payoff for the first cast of that fall day.

Hall, who runs Ladyfish Charters in Tampa Bay, fishes from Apollo Beach to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. She had promised we’d find willing snook on the low flood tide, and so we did. That was our main quarry of the morning, and we caught a bunch. The twitchbait proved a hot ticket for quite a few snook—and many missed strikes—while live pilchards (more properly known as scaled sardines) also accounted for plenty of action. Hall’s generous live chumming near the boat certainly didn’t hurt.

Fishing Spots in Tampa Bay

Snook caught in Tampa Bay
Widespread throughout the bay, snook are a primary target for many Tampa anglers. Here, Capt. Lori Hall prepares to net a snook, later released. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing

A bit farther south from where we fished is the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, also a great spot for snook. I’ve fished there successfully with angler Jose Chavez, a fishing industry vet, where we caught snook in the virtually hidden openings of creeks and bays.

“That’s one of my favorite areas to fish,” agrees retired guide Capt. Ray Markham, out of St. Petersburg. “The habitat in Terra Ceia has been relatively untouched by development and the encroachment of people, with lush mangroves and oyster bars in the clean water,” Markham says.

With winds light, we switched during the afternoon from fishing mangrove-rimmed bays and canals to drifting grass flats in the open bay in 3 or 4 feet of water. The turtle grass offered a welcome change from many areas of the beleaguered Indian River Lagoon on the east side of the state that I was used to. When it comes to water quality and habitat, Tampa Bay has really cleaned up its act over the past. But Tampa Bay waters do face new water quality issues, as do many parts of Florida.

Over a couple of days, we fished only a small ­portion of Tampa Bay; I felt we could have spent many days doing so and not have begun to explore even that limited area. In fact, Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary, covering more than 400 square miles. The main shipping channel is a busy place, since Tampa is one of the 10 largest ports in the nation. Fortunately, we remained far from that sort of traffic.

Tarpon Fishing Tampa Bay

Tossing chum to mangroves for snook
Wielding her chum bat like Ted Williams, Lori Hall flings live-whitebait chum toward the shoreline to fire up snook hiding in the mangroves. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing

The high flooding tide meant good conditions, and while Hall often finds redfish ­readily available over these flats, we didn’t locate them that afternoon. But from her high vantage point standing at the Blue Wave’s second station, Hall did spot a big bonnethead shark cruising the ­shallows, in its typical zigzag fashion, just off the bow.

“Bonnethead, 10 o’clock!” she called out, and my daughter, Rachel, visiting from Virginia, dropped a pilchard just ahead of the fish, about 40 feet out. It looked like the shark would pass nearby but keep moving on when it suddenly turned 90 degrees and pounced on its newfound prize. The circle hook bit where it was supposed to, and the fish offered a real test for a tiny Daiwa with 10-pound braid and St. Croix Legend XTreme Inshore rod, making repeated runs around the boat.

Chavez focuses much of his attention on snook in the lower bay, particularly during outgoing tides, when he works mangrove points, oyster bars, docks and potholes. “Snook basically set up on prime ambush points where there’s a good current,” he says. Find places where water has to funnel through a choke point on an ebb tide, and “you can expect snook to be there waiting for an easy meal.”

Read Next: Tarpon Fishing Tips

As much fun as snook are, Hall—who has been fishing Tampa Bay since the mid-’80s—cites tarpon as her favorite of all the bay’s many gamefish species. And she’s caught some monsters, including “the greatest catch of my life, a 214-pound tarpon.” Once in a while, Murphy takes a nap, as on that day when ESPN happened to be on board filming a show and caught it all.

For tarpon, Markham’s a summertime guy. While even then it can be hit or miss, the action can also be “insane—especially when you see pods of fish coming right at the boat,” he says. “Big-game fishing in the shallows.” Then, he focuses on days around new and full moons when big tides flush crabs and shrimp out of the bays. Similarly, Chavez likes May and June for tarpon, when they might move in by the thousands, he says.

Fishing All Year Long in Tampa Bay

Aerial image of Tampa Bay
Despite its proximity to urban Tampa, the bay offers extensive areas of unspoiled shoreline. Tyler Nathe / aerialphotographytampa.com

And while Markham is also a snook devotee, he says: “In the fall, I love fishing reds. They can be big and, like bulldogs, they just don’t give up. When the water temperature in the bay drops to between 72 and 78 degrees, with oxygen levels strong, that’s prime topwater time.”

Of course, jacks of various sizes patrol the bay, and when they’re on the attack, can be a blast. They gave us some good battles on our second day out with Hall. Somewhat less likely, a nice flounder surprised one angler. Not many Tampa Bay fishermen target flounder, mostly catching them incidentally, but they’re here. “Find good sand-and-shell or grassy habitat with channels and potholes in moving water, and you’re likely to find flounder much of the year,” Markham says.

Fish species chart for Tampa Bay
Check out the species availability in lower Tampa Bay. There’s something for every month of the year. Sport Fishing

With so much variety when it comes to ­gamefish species, the bay offers worthwhile action in all seasons. Chavez does indeed fish it year-round but says winter’s his preferred season. That’s when he really likes fishing the negative low tides, “especially during the start of the incoming. That really narrows down the places where the fish can be, and you get to transition up the flat to mangrove shorelines with them as the tide comes in.” Chavez acknowledges that conditions in the dead of winter are often cold and breezy, “but the fishing’s great, and it’s uncrowded because most people don’t want to deal with the discomfort. It really is my favorite time of year.”

Catching Two Redfish at the Same Time

Redfish in Tampa Bay
Efforts to clean up Tampa Bay have met with considerable success; widespread mangroves hold baitfish and predators such as redfish. Adrian E. Gray

These productive waters harbor many surprises, and Markham recounts his most indelible Tampa Bay memory: “One morning I was fishing a small cove within lower Tampa Bay using ultralight spinning tackle with 6-pound Ande tournament monofilament and a tandem-rigged jig. As I gazed down the shoreline, I saw what looked like a school of huge jack crevalle racing up the shore, eating everything in its path. Mullet were flying, schools of glass minnows were showering, and everything was getting devoured. I waited until the school came just within casting range and made a throw ahead of the lead fish.

“Instantly I was hooked up, and my 70-yard spool of line disappeared at a quick rate. I started the outboard to give chase and get back line. As I did, I got close enough to see that I hadn’t hooked a jack crevalle but a big redfish that looked to be at least 34 inches. When it saw the boat, it bolted back toward the school.

“As I followed it to regain line, the fish caught up to the school, and I felt a big thump on the line. Instantly the fish was ripping off drag again, and then the line went limp and I cranked hard, ­realizing the fish was running toward the boat.

“That’s when I saw that I now had two fish on my line—and the second fish was even larger. But the tandem rig soon parted, and I was left with only one fish—the larger one. I fought it for another 15 minutes or so before I finally subdued it, taking a measurement before I released her. She was a 46-incher with a massive girth. She bottomed out both scales on my boat, so I don’t know the weight, but to this day it remains the biggest redfish I have ever landed, and on 6-pound ­tournament mono at that!”

Planning A Fishing Trip to Lower Tampa Bay

Waterline Resort on Anna Marie Island
The Waterline Resort provided luxurious accommodations and top-notch service. Courtesy Waterline Resort

Who: We fished with Capt. Lori Hall, Ladyfish Charters (ladyfish​charters.com, 813-967-5032). Good knowledge, good rig, good gear; easy to recommend. Special kudos to Hall for her people skills—her patience and great sense of humor make her an exceptional guide for families who want to fish the bay.

Where: We stayed on Anna Maria Island, which guards the yawning entrance to Tampa Bay at its southern end, due west of Bradenton. There, we spent several days and nights at Waterline Resort (waterlineresort.com) in one of its Island Suites, and were thoroughly impressed. The suite was provisioned more like a luxury home than a vacation unit, and the kitchen had everything we could possibly want or need. Comfortable and quiet, the suite made us regret having to leave. Also, the resort staff raised “cheery” to a whole new level I hadn’t seen; if these folks don’t truly love their jobs, they’re world-class actors.

More: The Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area has much to offer for extended trips or larger groups. You can explore it all online at visittampabay.com and visit ­stpeteclearwater.com.

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New York’s Finger Lakes: A Multi-Species Mecca https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/fishing-new-york-finger-lakes/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 20:50:59 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=57285 Heaven on earth for freshwater anglers, offering fine multi-species fishing.

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Atlantic landlocked salmon at the finger lakes
In Seneca Lake, landlocked salmon are ubiquitous and susceptible to downrigger fishing year-round. Courtesy Ben Lowe

Around 10,000 years ago, the massive glaciers that once blanketed much of North America retreated for the last time. In present-day central and western New York State, what was left behind can only be described as heaven on earth for freshwater anglers. Covering almost 9,000 square miles and spanning 14 counties, the Finger Lakes Region is made up of eleven glacially carved lakes in total.

A quick scan of Google Earth will reveal that the lakes run north-to-south and are strikingly narrow, perfectly described as fingers. The region locally is referred to as the “banana belt” of upstate New York as the massive amount of water helps keep winters slightly warmer and summers cooler than nearby areas. From East to West, the lakes are positioned as follows: Otisco, Skaneatles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Hemlock and Conesus.

As temps begin to dip and fall bites grow red hot, hook up the boat, and take part in some of the finest multi-species fishing along the East Coast.

Top Species to Target at the Finger Lakes

walleye and smallmouth caught at the finger lakes
Quality smallmouth bass and walleye catches from the Finger Lakes in New York. All your favorite northeast freshwater species likely swim in these waters, including trout. Courtesy Kurt Hoefig

The Finger Lakes read like an Eagles album with a collection of the greatest hits of freshwater fish found in North America. To add a dose of local insight, I caught up with Kurt Hoefig, a local guide and fixture in the area’s fishing scene.

“I tell my clients all the time, there are not a lot of places in the country that have access to all the natural bodies of water that we have in this region,” said Hoefig. “The DEC does an exceptional job managing our fisheries, there is no off-season when it comes to fishing in the finger lakes.” 

By and large, all eleven lakes support booming populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass as deep rock and expanses of shallow structure exist in ample quantities. The same can be said with panfish opportunities as yellow perch, crappie and bluegill are found in impressive numbers region-wide.

The fun does not stop there, as select lakes offer golden shots at lake trout, brown trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. While there are plenty of productive northern pike fisheries in the Northeast, many lakes lack the forage and open water necessary to grow large specimens. The Finger Lakes kick out true monsters in the 20-pound class year after year. Also, as an added Esox bonus, there is consistent tiger muskie fishing to be had for those willing to put the time in.

The gem of the Empire State, the mighty walleye is also present in large numbers and they grow to impressive sizes in multiple lakes. Other species that should be on your list of species to target include include channel catfish, longnose gar, bowfin and freshwater drum.

The Best Finger Lakes for Fishing

largemouth bass caught at the finger lakes
Largemouth bass are a top target on the Finger Lakes. In fact, New York’s state record largemouth was caught in the region, tipping the scales at 12 pounds, 6 ounces. Courtesy Ben Lowe

With eleven lakes in total, keying in on desired species and techniques is critical to maximizing time. For the bass crowd, Cayuga Lake is a must-fish as the lake has become a consistent stop on high-level tournament trails. It is home to the New York state record smallmouth bass of 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and it recently produced the state record largemouth bass, a brute that tipped the scales at 12 pounds, 6 ounces. It is not just a warm-water fishery, as Cayuga’s populations of trout and salmon greatly benefited from the introduction of round gobies. Hoefig mentioned that “in 2013, gobies were first found in the lake. It did not take long for lake trout to key in on the new food source and feed on them in relatively shallow water areas. This has created world-class opportunities to cast for big lakers.”

For a truly unique angling experience, Seneca Lake, the self-proclaimed, “lake trout capital of the world,” reaches depths of more than 600 feet. The impressive depths and rare instances of ice coverage also make Seneca Lake home to the sonar testing facility of the U.S. Navy. This is where the sonar units used on nuclear submarines are put through their paces. In addition to a thriving lake trout population, landlocked salmon are ubiquitous and susceptible to downrigger fishing year-round.

My favorite, located half an hour from the city of Syracuse, is Otisco Lake. Essentially, it can be fished as two different lakes, as a causeway splits the lake on the south end. The lower basin is chock full of dirty water and weed beds, perfect for largemouth and panfish. The upper end is clear and deep with endless structure and great populations of smallmouth and walleye. Be warned, tiger muskies roam the entire body of water and can show up out of nowhere. Otisco is also one of the more consistent bets for safe ice for ice fishing on an annual basis.

About the Finger Lakes Region

lake trout caught at the finger lakes
The Finger Lakes are deep and cold, able to grow fat and happy lake trout. Courtesy Ben Lowe

If I am on a fishing trip, I rarely pay any mind to other available entertainment options in the area. This is not the case with the Finger Lakes region, as the temperate climate creates an amazing lineup of breweries and wineries along with a deep selection of restaurants showcasing the fresh ingredients grown and produced throughout the area. For fans of speed, Watkins Glen International Speedway boasts world-class racing action all summer long at an affordable price. If you need a good leg stretch after a long day on the trolling motor, trails leading to scenic summits are numerous and worth the hike. For more information on the area, check out visitfingerlakes.com.

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Louisiana’s Late Summer Redfish Blitz https://www.sportfishingmag.com/travel/late-summer-bull-redfish-bite/ Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:37:55 +0000 https://www.sportfishingmag.com/?p=57207 Fish the flats of Louisiana's lower Barataria Basin into fall.

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Catching bull red drum in Louisiana
The bull reds that hang on flats in the lower Barataria Basin are legitimate brutes. Adding a cork above a paddle tail makes success a virtual guarantee, according to Capt. Shane York. Todd Masson

Although Capt. Shane York is a regular at his local gym, at least a portion of his body-builder’s physique can be attributed to an annual run of bull redfish at an expansive bay near his favorite south Louisiana port. Every year in the late summer stretching through the fall, mature reds invade the flats in the lower Barataria Basin, and absolutely engorge themselves on bait stocks that must be seen to be believed. York is always there to greet them, armed with soft-plastic paddle tails under corks.

“You can throw whatever you want, and they’ll hit it, but that cork makes it pretty much a guarantee,” he said.

York has been kind enough to invite me to experience the bull-red blitz the last two seasons. Last year, we left predawn out of Myrtle Grove Marina, and caught them until neither of us could bear the thought of reeling in another fish. That was at 8 a.m. All the reds were pushing 40 inches.

“The smallest bull we’ve caught out here so far this year was 35 inches,” York said that morning.

A double hook up of redfish
The author and Capt. Shane York pause for a selfie while doubled up on bull redfish. Todd Masson

Two years ago, I absolutely wrecked my biceps reeling in bull after bull, including my personal best, a 44-inch fish. Although mature redfish conduct their spawning duties in deep passes along the coast, that’s not where York finds the fish when they’re in feeding mode. He hunts for extensive flats of uniform 3- to 4-foot depths that hold bait, and when he finds one, success is almost assured, regardless of water clarity.

“We catch them out here in absolute chocolate milk,” he said.

The run coincides with the migration of white shrimp leaving Louisiana’s marshes this time of year. York releases every bull he catches, but if you were to cut open one’s belly, it would be jammed full.

Bull Red Drum Eat Speckled Trout

Bull redfish of Louisiana
Capt. Shane York battles giant bull redfish along the Louisiana coast every year at this time. Todd Masson

“You would find a lot of shrimp, but you’d also find some speckled trout,” he said. “They feast on those little speckled trout.”

In fact, the trout are such a significant part of the bull reds’ diet that York knows he’s in the right area when aggressive specks and white trout are the first to yank down his cork. Many of the specks are under Louisiana’s 13-inch minimum size limit, but some are solid keepers. York doesn’t mind putting those in the box if his clients want to take some fish home.

Often, diving seagulls give away the location of productive flats, so York said it pays to always be observant. He had just recently discovered the flat that produced so many fish for us last year.

“We were fishing one area, and we were moving to another area,” he said. “As we were driving across the flat, we saw two huge blowups right next to the boat. We stopped, put the Power-Pole down, made two casts and immediately doubled up.”

York’s favorite color lure is black with a chartreuse tail, but he also has success with white and straight chartreuse. He will be putting all those colors to use for the next few months. Once the fish show up in late July or early August, they stick around for a while.

“They’ll be out here really good through October or November, but you’ll still have some stretching into December,” he said.

By then, York will surely look even more ripped.

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